‘Basketball Wives’ was once one of VH1’s highest rated programs, easily netting 1-2 million viewers per episode at the height of its popularity.
And though season 8 (which aired over 2019) saw the Shaunie O’Neal-produced show score some of its lowest ratings in its history, the season was still able to secure average viewership of at least 1 million.
Thanks to the hype that preceded the show’s season 9 kick off (February 9), many predicted the return of Malaysia Pargo, Evelyn Lozada, Jackie Christie, Jennifer Williams, Kristen Scott, Ogom “OG” Chijindu, and Feby Torres to screens would be a slam dunk on the ratings front.
Premiere figures reveal, however, the year that passed since the last time fans caught new episodes of ‘Basketball Wives’ may have worked to its detriment.
See what we mean inside:
Viewership = 537,000
With a Tuesday (February 9) premiere that took it head-to-head with extensive coverage of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, ‘Basketball Wives’ took a rating loss by luring in only 537,000 viewers – putting it in 41st place among the day’s 150 most watched programs.
Among non-news, sports, or special TV programming, ‘Wives’ landed in 8th place with all ratings factors considered. For its viewership hour, it also landed in 8th place among the time slot’s most viewed programs.
See the full TV ratings chart below:
*Click to enlarge*
The season 9 premiere ranks as the lowest premiere ratings drawn by the series to date. See how it stacks up to its predecessors below.
‘Basketball Wives’ Season Premiere Viewership
Season 1: 1.58 million
Season 2: 1.41 million
Season 3: 1.82 million
Season 4: 2.50 million
Season 5: 2.39 million
Season 6: 2.61 million
Season 7: 1.87 million
Season 8: 970,000
Season 9: 537,000
Yall are so late, yall not even trying at this point 🤦🏾♂️
The writings on the wall. There are a 1000 reality shows and they are all the same. What once was something interesting, is now basic. Variety shows in the 1960s. Game shows in the 1970-80s. Daytime Talk shows in the 1990s. Reality shows now. Genres that become popular, end up becoming over-saturated. I hope everybody is saving their 💰!!
You have a good point. Reality TV has been popping for the last 10-15 years and I for 1 am over it!
The promo pics looks bad. They need to reshoot
Let’s not act as though the treatment meted out to OG and the fact that no one has yet taken accountability wasn’t also a major factor in the ratings drop. After all, when viewers were voicing their concerns and disdain, Shaunie told them they were “too invested in the show”. I guess nigh 500, 000 uninvested themselves.
This is exactly why I stopped watching. It was such a disgrace, I couldn’t even watch it anymore. I noticed on Twitter that a lot of fans agree- a lot of people dropped the show because of how OG was treated.
I’m glad the rating went down at least the majority of the fans kept their promise. Separated themselves from Shaunie O’Neal and her cronies. Hopefully! They go away for good. I’m sick of seeing black woman belittle themselves on these shows. Plus, The Queen Bee still there getting away with murder. We’re so over her trying to sue OG for something her messy self initiated. Bye!! 👋👋👋👋
It’s obvious that no one cares to watch this train wreck of a show anymore. I’m honestly surprised it even came back on the air after last year’s spectacle. It really should be canceled.
Basketball Wives used to be one of my favorite shows by far. I loved it so much that it was hard to wait an entire week to see the next episode. I stopped watching Basketball Wives when they added the Nigerian female to the cast. She has complete disdain for Black American women and it shows! I personally don’t like the attitude that Africans exhibit towards Blacks–particularly Black American women, and also toward Hispanic women, and I just couldn’t tolerate her and her typical Nigerian bull! She has a rude, disrespectful, “better than thou,” negative spirit!
What is this thing with forcing Nigerians on us? There’s at least ONE on every Black American tv show. We are NOT the same people…
F*** off Evilyn Hoezada.
Gm. I just think Shaunie & Evelyn should’ve had that conversation with Iyana or some Psychologist to mediate in that field because this is a mess OG leaking these recordings. Greeting Nia acting like she don’t know them, then to say she had a conversation with Nia, OG said ahe didn’t want to have anything to-do with them🤔it’s to much then Shaunie leaves that’s not right to their fans. We can only get resolution if we talk it out not fight..I’m a Fan Evelyn is the third cousin of my Great grand daughter. It was educational & I believe through mediator it would’nt got this far
What a total waste of your airtimee